Here is this week’s news quiz.  Good luck!

1. Who is the new Speaker of the House?

Spoiler
Kevin McCarthy, who represents California’s 23rd district. McCarthy has served in Congress since 2007 and he is the 55th Speaker of the House in American history.

2. In keeping with question #1, how many ballots did it take last week to elect this person Speaker?

Spoiler
Fifteen. The election of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House was the longest election for the office since 1859. The voting took place over five days as members of the Republican Freedom Caucus refused to vote for McCarthy, denying him a majority vote in the chamber. After making concessions to the Freedom Caucus over the House’s rules, McCarthy finally won the vote on Friday night.

3. Who is the new leader of House Democrats?

Spoiler
Hakeem Jeffries, who is taking over the post from Nancy Pelosi. Jeffries represents New York’s 8th congressional district and has served since 2013. He was able to keep his caucus together for many of the votes for Speaker of the House last week.

4. What did supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro do on Sunday?

Spoiler
Supporters of Bolsonaro broke into government buildings in the capital of Brasilia, where they have been camped for the last sixty days. In an incident reminiscent of the January 6 attacks on Capitol Hill, Bolsonaro supporters stormed Brazil’s Congress building, the Supreme Court, and presidential palace. More than 1,000 people have been detained so far for their role in the incident and Brazilia’s federal district governor has also been removed.

5. The United Nations reported on Monday that Chinese work to reduce CFC-11 emissions puts the world on track to fix what environmental problem within decades?

Spoiler
Restoring the ozone layer to full strength. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were banned via the Montreal Protocol, which took effect in 1989, but there were worries about “rogue emissions” from small Chinese factories. In the 1970s it was discovered the the ozone layer was weaking because of CFCs and in the 1980s a hole was discovered over Antarctica.

6. What does the Fair Tax Act aim to do?

Spoiler
Eliminate the federal income tax and replace it with a national consumption tax. The bill would also abolish the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The legislation will get a vote in the House because of a deal that Speaker Kevin McCarthy made with the Freedom Caucus in order to get elected to his post last week.

7. Where is controversial influencer Andrew Tate in custody?

Spoiler
Romania. Tate was apprehended with his brother, Tristan, a few weeks ago over an investigation into human trafficking and rape. His recent appeal to be released from custody failed. Tate has been banned from social media platforms because of his misogynistic views.

8. In another sad sign of school violence in America, a child of what age shot and wounded their teacher with a handgun last week?

Spoiler
Six. The incident took place a Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia. Police have called it an intentional shooting and said that the gun used by the child was legally obtained. The young age of the shooter has taken security and legal experts by surprise, continuing the debate over school safety for other students and staff in an age of active shooting.

9. In response to COVID-19 testing requirement, China suspended the issuing of new visas to which countries earlier this week?

Spoiler
South Korea and Japan. Both countries have joined others, including the U.S., in making Chinese visitors test for COVID-19 due to an explosion of cases in the People’s Republic. In response, China’s suspended its embassies from issuing vias to the two countries.

10. Which electoral institution in Haiti has no more lawmakers as of Tuesday?

Spoiler
The Senate. Due to the fact that the country has not held legislative elections since October 2019, terms for officeholders have gradually expired. On Tuesday, terms for elected senators ran out and now the country does not have a functioning House or Senate. The development continues a pattern of chaos for the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, which is seeing its government battle organized criminal groups throughout the country.